Editing Peru–Bolivian Confederation (section)

===Establishment===
Provided, then, with all the legal elements granted by the assemblies of the three states, Santa Cruz decreed the establishment of the Peru–Bolivian Confederation, by decree given in Lima on October 28, 1836.{{sfn|Basadre|2014|page=121}}{{sfn|Tamayo|1985|page=254}} A congress known today as the '''Congress of Tacna''' ({{langx|es|Congreso de Tacna}}) was ordered to meet in [[Tacna]] to establish the foundations of the confederation. A [[Customs|customs office]] was also opened in [[Arica]], which employed both South Peruvians and Bolivians.{{sfn|Basadre|2014|page=121–122}}

During the meeting, Santa Cruz arranged for each state to send a priest, a soldier and a lawyer as delegates before, and consequently, three religious, three lawyers and three soldiers marched to Tacna. The nine delegates were as follows:
*Representing '''North Peru'''
**{{ill|Tomás Diéguez de Florencia|es}}, bishop of Trujillo
**{{ill|Manuel Tellería Vicuña|es}}, lawyer and member of the Supreme Court
**{{ill|Francisco Quirós y Ampudia|es}}, colonel
*Representing '''South Peru'''
**{{ill|José Sebastián de Goyeneche y Barreda|es}}, bishop of Arequipa
**Pedro José Flórez, lawyer and judge of Ayacucho
**Juan José Larrea, colonel
*Representing '''Bolivia'''
**José María Mendizábal, bishop of [[Sucre|La Plata]]
**Pedro Buitrago, lawyer and member of the Supreme Court
**Miguel María de Aguirre, colonel

Initially, January 24, 1837, was chosen as the congress' date, but it had to be postponed. Santa Cruz decided to accompany the plenipotentiaries of the North-Peruvian State, for which reason he left Lima and embarked on the frigate ''Flora'' on February 9, but instead of disembarking in [[Islay Province|Islay]], he went to [[Arica]], where he arrived on February 27. The congress was postponed to April 18; Meanwhile, Santa Cruz remained in Arica, but on March 2 he headed for Tacna, where he was received with much fanfare. From Tacna he went to [[Viacha]] on March 10, arriving in [[La Paz]] the following day. There, together with the Bolivian plenipotentiaries Aguirre and Buitrago, and Bolivian Vice President [[Mariano Enrique Calvo]], he agreed on the project that should be discussed and approved in Tacna. Then, in the first days of April, he went down to Tacna again.

On April 18, 1837, the Tacna Congress was inaugurated, with the presence of the nine delegates. The [[#Government and politics|Pact of Tacna]] ({{langx|es|Pacto de Tacna}}) was signed without debate during the congress. It established the [[Constitution|legal framework]] through which the state would operate, and also included the design of the flag.{{sfn|Basadre|2014|page=122}} Reactions to the pact were mixed event among its signatories, and disagreements led to the establishment of one constituent congress per member state.{{sfn|Basadre|2014|page=124–125}} The act was later promulgated in 1837.